[MRCG] [MRCA] Additional thought on Dayton Hamvention & Otherthings

[Ray Poularas]

This was a interesting topic to follow.

As a keen Electronics and vintage radio enthusiast, taking something from
a junk pile and fixing it yourself and then getting it on he air is half
the fun for me.

Even more rewarding when you finally get something from WWII up and
running and make a contact.

HAM radio was always supposed to be about fun and learning.

Making contacts and friends, with the learning associated with the
electronics and radio part of the hobby.

Now I know that some HAM's don't have all the Electronics skills but
that's OK as well.

I think that something is sort of lost on commodity surface mount kit
these days as there is no chance to actually fix it, you just need to
replace the part at board level.

There are a number of seriously nice components if your into making a home
brew setup, but I fear that the art of HAM home brew is also on the
decline. There is just not an interest by our yourger generation in
Electronics anymore.

In any case the Politics and Big business aspects are unfortunately part
of  the landscape.... and hard to avoid.

As long as they don;t try to make our forms of Military HAM radio
collecting and use illegal then it means more gear for us to play with to
the detriment of those who will never know.

Regards
Ray P




> Amen to your last line Jason. Those of us that enjoy collecting and
> restoring
> vintage equipment and using "obsolete" modes (according to the ARRL) like
> CW, AM and RTTY are still here. The ARRL, so called mainstream codeless
> (and
> cluless)
> hams can do their thing, unfortuantly clogging the airwaves with 'puters
> talking to 'puters but we will be around long after they all loose
> interest.
>
> I'm sure many folks here have been openly laughed at for using vintage
> gear.
> My favorite comeback is their multi-kilobuck YeaKenCom will be an
> expensive
> doorstops (when manufacturers stop supporting them with replacement parts)
> while
> vintage gear will survive.
> Steve W6SSP
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jason W6IEE" <w6iee.73 at gmail.com>
> To: "West Coast Military Radio Collectors Group" <mrcg at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Friday, February 15, 2019 9:05 PM
> Subject: Re: [MRCG] [MRCA] Additional thought on Dayton Hamvention &
> Otherthings
>
>
> Some of us got into Ham radio to get the heck away from computers and play
> with stuff that weighs a ton and glows in the dark!
>
> Since we're in a sunspot minimum, and making real QSO's is "too hard," the
> new fad is this new FT8 mode, that's practically fully automatic. You (er,
> your laptop) can get dxcc while you're folding laundry.
>
> The one thing the computer doesn't tell you, is whether you had fun or not
> playing radio.
>
> OR, you can can converse with nearby "intellectuals" on the local
> repeater,
> or worldwide, if the thing is once again connected to the Internet.
> There's
> those damn computers again.
>
> THIS is the state of the "mainstream" hobby. That's fine, we weirdos that
> like to play with antiques "that smell funny" will be left alone to do as
> we please!
>
> Jason w6iee
>
> On Fri, Feb 15, 2019, 7:03 PM Rich Arland <k7sz at live.com> wrote:
>
>> As far as the ARRL is concerned, Military radio collectors and operators
>> have been the bastard stepchildren for some time now, and that really
>> doesn’t look to be changing any time soon. The ARRL has become way too
>> involved with companies like Yaesu and the like, especially monetarily,
>> to
>> hope for any change on their part. In that respect, the ARRL has become
>> nothing more than a trade group for these manufacturers. The only
>> possible
>> way that will ever change as far as events like Dayton are concerned is
>> if
>> Military radio collectors demand that change. And the big money
>> manufacturers will fight tooth and nail before they allow that to
>> happen.
>>
>> Mark
>> WW2RDO
>> I have some history with the ARRL having written/authored for them on
>> and
>> off since 1994. So...here is my insight into the blight affecting
>> amateur
>> radio: the ARRL.
>>
>> The ARRL use to say the were "Of, by and for the Amateur Radio
>> Operator".
>> In reality they were and still are "Of, by and for the Almighty Dollar",
>> as
>> stated by Mark in his posting.
>>
>> On another subject near and dear to the heart of the ARRL: The CCR
>> (Cheap
>> Chinese Radio) debacle. Finally late last year the FCC came out with
>> their
>> encyclical basically forbidding the use of Part 90 CCRs by hams on
>> amateur
>> freqs. All this after several hundred thousand of them have been
>> imported
>> and sold, mainly to newly licensed tech hams. In short, the CCRs had
>> impacted the Evil Offshore Empire's imported V/UHF radio sales quite
>> drastically. Why spend several hundred dollars for a dual band HT from
>> YaKenCom when, for $39, you can by a Beofeng unit that, when it breaks,
>> you
>> trash and buy another one?!?!?
>>
>> One can only imagine the political pressure The Big Three along with the
>> ARRL and their paid lobbyists in DC put on the FCC to enact a retro
>> grade
>> finding against these CCRs. Once again the ARRL has shown their true
>> colors
>> by supporting their multi-page advertisers in QST to the detriment of
>> the
>> radio hobby. To think we who enjoy MilCom radios will ever get more than
>> passing/casual attention from the ARRL is wishful thinking.
>>
>> OK.....off the soap box. Flame suit on!
>>
>> Vy 73 es gud DX!
>>
>> Rich Arland   K7SZ   WPE7BYR
>> Radio/electronics archaeologist
>> Author: The ARRL's Low Power Communications
>> Bent Dipole Ranch, Dacula, GA
>> http://commobunker.blogspot.com/
>>
>>
>>
>> ________________________________
>> From: mrca-bounces at mailman.qth.net <mrca-bounces at mailman.qth.net> on
>> behalf of Mkdorney via MRCA <mrca at mailman.qth.net>
>> Sent: Friday, February 15, 2019 9:11 PM
>> To: Tim
>> Cc: Ray Fantini; mrca at mailman.qth.net
>> Subject: Re: [MRCA] Additional thought on Dayton Hamvention
>>
>> It’s not really any type of “versus” thing. The ARRL simply
>> chooses to
>> cater to the new, wiz/bang folks and ignore just about any body else.
>> The
>> only time I’ve ever seen them get interested in the Military Radio
>> Operators is when it’s time to renew ARRL membership.
>>
>> Mark
>> WW2RDO
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Feb 15, 2019, at 8:51 PM, Tim <timsamm at gmail.com<mailto:
>> timsamm at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>> I don't know about ARRL "versus" military radio guys - but the West
>> Coast
>> MRCG did week-long joint Ops with the MVPA at their 2016 National
>> Convention in Pleasanton CA.  A good time was had by all...  Some pix
>> here:
>>
>> http://www.n6cc.com/military-vehicles-and-radios-mvccmrcg
>>
>> We also usually do joint Ops with the Military Vehicle Collectors of
>> California at their Spring and Fall rallies out here.  Good synergy,
>> like
>> minded people.
>>
>> Tim
>> N6CC
>>
>> On Fri, Feb 15, 2019 at 2:16 PM Mkdorney via MRCA <mrca at mailman.qth.net
>> <mailto:mrca at mailman.qth.net>> wrote:
>> There are 4 letters I would recommend all Hams with an interest in
>> military Radio technology  memorize:  MVPA.  It stands for the Military
>> Vehicle Preservation Association. Their International convention this
>> year
>> is in August in York, PA. Those in the Northeast know that the MRCA
>> joins
>> the local chapter of the MVPA in Gilbert PA every year for their show.
>> That
>> could be replicated across the country if Hams who have Military radio
>> gear
>> got together with local MVPA organizations. There are even some
>> recruiting
>> possibilities at these shows as many of these vehicle owners have old,
>> working and non working radios and really don’t know where to turn to
>> in
>> order to get licensed and get there stuff fixed. And you don’t need to
>> worry so much about your “old stuff” being pushed into a corner,
>> because
>> their stuff is also the old stuff.
>>
>> As far as the ARRL is concerned, Military radio collectors and operators
>> have been the bastard stepchildren for some time now, and that really
>> doesn’t look to be changing any time soon. The ARRL has become way too
>> involved with companies like Yaesu and the like, especially monetarily,
>> to
>> hope for any change on their part. In that respect, the ARRL has become
>> nothing more than a trade group for these manufacturers. The only
>> possible
>> way that will ever change as far as events like Dayton are concerned is
>> if
>> Military radio collectors demand that change. And the big money
>> manufacturers will fight tooth and nail before they allow that to
>> happen.
>>
>> Mark
>> WW2RDO
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Feb 15, 2019, at 10:26 AM, Ray Fantini
>> <RAFANTINI at salisbury.edu<mailto:
>> RAFANTINI at salisbury.edu>> wrote:
>>
>>
>> If you look at the amount of promotion that’s been going on  in QST
>> and
>> how packed the dealer and sales pavilions are I have to wonder if maybe
>> the
>> flea market aspect of the Hamvention is being pushed off to the side and
>> being left to wither and die? Or is it that the entire concept of used
>> equipment, homebuilt and playing around with old radios is itself died
>> out?
>>
>> Pure speculation on my part but is there a effort to make the Hamvention
>> into a convention where they just talk and show the newest and latest
>> technology and the hell with all that old junk and the people who want
>> to
>> mess with it? Looking at the ARRL it appears that’s their main
>> interest is
>> in pushing you to go out and buy the newest whatever and that if
>> you’re
>> not
>> on the cutting edge or using the newest digital mode you not a complete
>> Ham.
>>
>> I work in a technical field and have to deal with installing the latest
>> software, operating systems and hardware every day and the last thing I
>> want to do when I am not at work is have to download stuff and resolve
>> set
>> up issues, so I prefer to work with the technology of the past where you
>> can get in, make changes and work with things at a slower pace. After
>> all
>> it is a hobby and not a business. So that’s the question is Hamvention
>> evolving into something more along the lines of a boat show, where
>> everything is about the newest and most expensive or will it still
>> reflect
>> whatever the general state of the hobby is?
>>
>> And what is the general state of the hobby? Maybe this is the future and
>> people like me that are getting older and prefer to waste time on
>> technology from our past just need to get out of the way for the Hams of
>> the future? Although most of the people I know, see at the fest and have
>> talked with are just as old if not older then I am so where are all
>> these
>> Hams of the future? Maybe by getting rid of us old buzzard Hams that
>> will
>> entice theses young Hams out to the events? Yet another reason to kill
>> off
>> the flea market.
>>
>>
>>
>> Have to remember your Bell “When one door closes, another opens; but
>> we
>> often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do
>> not
>> see the one which has opened for us” Somehow always thought that was a
>> bible quote but apparently not. Maybe if Hamvention is failing in my
>> expatiations or costing too much it is time to make this the last trip,
>> but
>> other regional sales like Frostfest are doing great and maybe look to a
>> future of more online and local stuff.
>>
>>
>>
>> Collecting and using military technology in some ways is a smaller
>> subset
>> then the larger Vintage Ham radio community is, but it’s what I want
>> to do
>> and once you get into the military collectors community you soon
>> discover
>> the weapon, vehicle and many other collectors that have a thriving
>> community that somehow survives without having a national organization
>> that’s beating the drum for everyone to go out and buy or constantly
>> move
>> forward. Perhaps the nearest analog would be the reenactors and what
>> they
>> are doing although I don’t consider myself a reenactor, but they are
>> from
>> what I see a growing group and would assume they have some sort of
>> organization and publications and would assume that a large part of it
>> involves advertising and trying to get there members to go out and buy
>> things.
>>
>>
>>
>> It all circles back to Dayton and what the future is there. Perhaps
>> it’s
>> my expectations that have changed and not the Hamvention at all? Or
>> maybe
>> it’s a combination of the two? Or maybe it’s just that it’s a
>> Friday and
>> Friday morning are somewhat slow here at work and it’s an opportunity
>> to
>> take time out and write about these things and try to get an idea what
>> others think.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Ray F/KA3EKH
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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Ray Poularas
Tube Radio Australia
+61 412113973